Ian Scott Massie's Blog

This is a story which has a lots of storytellers’ fingerprints on so I’m going to tell the version I heard first, which I think is the best. Three drovers and a dog came down from Scotland with a herd of cattle bound for Bradford market. They were hoping to sell some Highland cattle that had been seized by the English in the hard years after the battle of Culloden. At Lodge, on the slopes of what would soon be known as Dead Man’s Hill, they stayed within an inn kept by a woman and her daughter. A few days later they returned with the price of the cattle in their pockets and stayed the night. Unfortunately this time they stayed more than the night. After getting the drovers drunk the two women murdered the men as they slept. They cut off their heads and buried the bodies and heads in two different places on the hill. They had reckoned without the dog, however. No matter how they tried they couldn’t catch or scare away the faithful sheepdog. Of course, sooner or later some travellers making for Lodge saw the dog digging and went to have a closer look. Out of the ground came one head, then a second and then a third. There are two versions of the endgame: In the first the two women were taken to Pateley Bridge, tried and hung. In the second the two were found to be witches and were mysteriously petrified. They stand as two weathered stones, known as Jenny Twig and her Daughter Tib, overlooking Nidderdale near Lofthouse.

This story comes from:Tales From The DalesA major exhibition of new paintings based on stories from the Yorkshire Dales collected over the last two years. In addition to artwork the exhibition sees the launch of a book for children: The Penhill Giant, which is an illustrated retelling of events which took place on the hill overlooking the exhibition location. The exhibition will also see the launch of a book, illustrated with paintings created for the exhibition, which will include a collection of Dales stories, many of which will be appearing in print for the first time. The exhibition will be on at:Wensley Church, Wensley, N Yorks.10 am - 5 am 27 July – 11 August 2013Preview: 7 - 9 pm Friday 26th JulyA chance to see the paintings and meet the artist.Stories of the Dales: 5.00 - 6.30 Saturday 27th JulyFour Yorkshire writers read from and talk about their work.Open Mic Night: 7 - 9 pm Saturday 10th AugustA great evening of music with musicians from the Yorkshire Dales.If you would like to perform CLICK HERE